What are the most even-handed, unbiased news sources?

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Dec 30, 2004
12,553
2
76
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Fox news is pretty unbiased. A lot less biased than CNN. Proof is in the viewership. More than CNN and MSNBC put together.

They are the only network that provides alternate takes on a story. You'd NEVER see CNN allowing something like that.

Actually, Fox gets a lot of viewership because they're the only major news outlet the swings right.

Fox news is no more right than CNN is left.

Now that is weird.
 

Deeko

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
30,213
12
81
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Fox news is pretty unbiased. A lot less biased than CNN. Proof is in the viewership. More than CNN and MSNBC put together.

They are the only network that provides alternate takes on a story. You'd NEVER see CNN allowing something like that.

Actually, Fox gets a lot of viewership because they're the only major news outlet the swings right.

Fox news is no more right than CNN is left.

Regardless of where you think CNN falls compared to center - there is just no denying that Fox leans very right, which is why they have strong viewership - no competition. Hell, anyone that understands supply and demand could tell you that one.
 
Dec 30, 2004
12,553
2
76
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Fox news is pretty unbiased. A lot less biased than CNN. Proof is in the viewership. More than CNN and MSNBC put together.

They are the only network that provides alternate takes on a story. You'd NEVER see CNN allowing something like that.

Actually, Fox gets a lot of viewership because they're the only major news outlet the swings right.

Fox news is no more right than CNN is left.

Regardless of where you think CNN falls compared to center - there is just no denying that Fox leans very right, which is why they have strong viewership - no competition. Hell, anyone that understands supply and demand could tell you that one.

So you agree the other news outlets lean left then.
 

Deeko

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
30,213
12
81
Absolutely, I never said otherwise - in fact, I explicitly said it in my first post. in the thread. Of course MSNBC is way out in left field. CNN is much closer to center - in my opinion, closer to the center than Fox - but still left.
 

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
174
106
What are the most even-handed, unbiased news sources?

I don't think there is any such thing.

I don't believe there has ever been any such thing.

If you the have the interest to pursue journalism as a career you certainly have enough interest to have formed opinions. Once you've formed opinion you have bias, no matter how many denials.

Just get your news from several sources to 'piece together' the most accurate picture.

Fern
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
350
126
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Fox news is pretty unbiased. A lot less biased than CNN. Proof is in the viewership.

Wow, that deserves a special bad logic prize.
 

n yusef

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2005
2,158
1
0
Unbiased does not mean moderate. On some issues, only one side is moral. What is a moderate position on women's suffrage? What is a moderate position on the internment of the Japanese in WWII? A current example: What is a moderate position on torture? Even more basic: What is a moderate position on murder? To be between two sides of an issue is not to be unbiased. Rather, there is a distinct "moderate" bias (in quotes because moderate in America is conservative in Continental Europe and very liberal in most religious societies). The Moderate Bias is to assume that between two extremes is always the correct answer, even though history has shown that what was once extreme is now mainstream. Politics is a always progressing, and what was moderate fifty years ago is reactionary now. What is moderate today (an current example is supporting same-sex civil unions but not same-sex marriage; shame on you, Mr. Obama) will be very conservative in the future.

No political view is unbiased, and bias is not defined as, "anything with which I disagree." Rather, It is the role of the viewer to decided which bias she prefers. Many people want an anti-torture bias, and a pro-equality bias. But some want a ticking-time-bomb bias, or a religious bias, and it is foolish for either to claim that bias is something that only belongs to the other.
 

PaperclipGod

Banned
Apr 7, 2003
2,021
0
0
Originally posted by: n yusef
Unbiased does not mean moderate. On some issues, only one side is moral. What is a moderate position on women's suffrage? What is a moderate position on the internment of the Japanese in WWII? A current example: What is a moderate position on torture? Even more basic: What is a moderate position on murder? To be between two sides of an issue is not to be unbiased. Rather, there is a distinct "moderate" bias (in quotes because moderate in America is conservative in Continental Europe and very liberal in most religious societies). The Moderate Bias is to assume that between two extremes is always the correct answer, even though history has shown that what was once extreme is now mainstream. Politics is a always progressing, and what was moderate fifty years ago is reactionary now. What is moderate today (an current example is supporting same-sex civil unions but not same-sex marriage; shame on you, Mr. Obama) will be very conservative in the future.

No political view is unbiased, and bias is not defined as, "anything with which I disagree." Rather, It is the role of the viewer to decided which bias she prefers. Many people want an anti-torture bias, and a pro-equality bias. But some want a ticking-time-bomb bias, or a religious bias, and it is foolish for either to claim that bias is something that only belongs to the other.

Excellent post, that's a great explanation!

So, do you feel news can be reported in an unbiased manner even though the reports are produced by inherently biased creatures (humans)?

For example, on women's suffrage, an unbiased report could consist solely of events as they happen -- interpretation of those events (and any digressions on morality) would be left to the editorials.

In fact, unbiased reporting is probably made easier today as electronic media doesn't limit a reporter to a certain number of words. The less space you have to report an event, the more you have to abstract the details. With the internet, the actual details of an event can all be published even if they're hundreds of pages in length.
 

Robor

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
16,979
0
76
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Fox news is pretty unbiased. A lot less biased than CNN. Proof is in the viewership. More than CNN and MSNBC put together.

They are the only network that provides alternate takes on a story. You'd NEVER see CNN allowing something like that.

Actually, Fox gets a lot of viewership because they're the only major news outlet the swings right.

Fox news is no more right than CNN is left.

Regardless of where you think CNN falls compared to center - there is just no denying that Fox leans very right, which is why they have strong viewership - no competition. Hell, anyone that understands supply and demand could tell you that one.

So you agree the other news outlets lean left then.

Yep. But if you combine all of the left leaning outlets 'leftness' they'd still be closer to center than Fox is.
 
Nov 30, 2006
15,456
389
121
Believe it or not...I get most of my news and news analysis here at ATPN. The slant on the news is typically highly biased...but I can count on getting diverse perspectives...some of which are very intelligent and well thought out.
 

RyanPaulShaffer

Diamond Member
Jul 13, 2005
3,434
1
0
Fox News. While they most definitely lean right, they at least attempt to present both sides of the story, unlike MSNBC and CNN. MSNBC is way out in left field. CNN is a little more moderate, but still very much left-leaning. Insulting lady reporter at tea parties, for example.

Nightfall also gave a good example as well. Google News might be the best, since it is just a news aggregate and grabs news from all over the web. However, if there is a human deciding which stories to show and which ones to hide, then it could be biased. Even if it was automatic, the algorithm could be designed to favor one type of story over another.

All that being said, I'm going to echo the sentiment of others in this thread: there is really no truly "unbiased" news source. There are some sources that are more reliable than others, but they all have some sort of slant.
 

LtPage1

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2004
6,311
2
0
I like the Christian Science Monitor, especially for international news. Don't let the name scare you off, they're the best.
 

BladeVenom

Lifer
Jun 2, 2005
13,365
16
0
Fox is only considered conservative because 90% of the reporters on the other stations are liberals. So it really is the most balanced.
 
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Originally posted by: Deeko
Originally posted by: soccerballtux
Fox news is pretty unbiased. A lot less biased than CNN. Proof is in the viewership. More than CNN and MSNBC put together.

They are the only network that provides alternate takes on a story. You'd NEVER see CNN allowing something like that.

Actually, Fox gets a lot of viewership because they're the only major news outlet the swings right.

Fox news is no more right than CNN is left.

Regardless of where you think CNN falls compared to center - there is just no denying that Fox leans very right, which is why they have strong viewership - no competition. Hell, anyone that understands supply and demand could tell you that one.

Let's not count Bill O'Reilly and Hannity & Colmes because it's OBVIOUS those shows are designed to slant right -- not to mention it's not really news but more commentary.
 

Phokus

Lifer
Nov 20, 1999
22,994
779
126
NPR is the most unbiased, it's serious news and not entertainment like Faux News. Unfortunately that means it won't be popular with 99% of the idiot masses out there.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
87,886
55,138
136
Originally posted by: DLeRium

Let's not count Bill O'Reilly and Hannity & Colmes because it's OBVIOUS those shows are designed to slant right -- not to mention it's not really news but more commentary.

Okay. So lets not count our good friend Bill, as he's intended to slant to the right. Lets not count Hannity, as it's intended to slant to the right. Better not count Hannity's America either, as it's intended to slant to the right. Lets not count Glenn Beck, as it's intended to slant to the right. Let's not count Fox & Friends, because it's intended to slant to the right. Let's not count Your World with Neil Cavuto as it's intended to slant to the right. Let's not count Huckabee, because it's intended to slant to the right. Lets not count the Journal Editorial Report, because it's intended to slant to the right.

Sooner or later, a pattern emerges... hahaha.